silence lasted only a moment. Before the ash could settle and the wind could die down, a deafening roar tore through the air.
Vera didn't just stand up her body was now covered in a blinding red aura, pulsing with raw energy. Shockwaves burst from her in every direction. Glowing runes appeared across her skin, and the air around her burst with heat. Consumed by chaos and pure rage, she was now a threat not only to Lucia but also to her own allies.
Without thinking, Vera jumped at one of her own comrades, grabbed him by the leg, and began swinging him wildly from side to side, slamming him into the ground before launching him into the air. She stood there, drooling and baring her teeth like a crazy beast.
"She seems stronger... but also dumber," Lucia muttered before adding, "This is exactly why I stopped training you."
Without hesitation, she charged toward Vera, her sword held low. As she began her incantation..."Nha rha me" a trail of blue fire followed her blade, forming a wall of heat, burning at thousands of degrees....
It seemed clear the end of the battle was near.
But then, Vera jumped into the air, spinning so fast she created a tornado, the winds screaming as they twisted around her. The violent storm rushed straight toward Lucia, cutting off her attack and forcing her to stop in her tracks.
Lucia jumped back, waiting for the right moment waiting for Vera to slip up in her own chaos.
This time, Vera crashed to the ground, but instead of stopping, she charged forward like a raging bull except in a wild, monkey-like style, flailing her arms and snarling as she ran straight at Lucia.
Maybe Vera thought she could scare Lucia—but this was exactly what Lucia had been waiting for.
She gripped her sword tightly and began to walk forward, slowly, calmly. Then, with a whisper of breath, she activated her clan's secret technique Shadow Step.
She moved so fast, to the eyes of most people, she vanished. But not to Athar. He saw it all. The blue flame burning on Luci a's blade… mirage of her body left behind, moving in slow motion, while the real Lucia was already ahead fast as lightning.
In one clean motion, she cut through Vera'sarm.
The world seemed to pause.
Vera stopped moving. She hadn't even realized yet. Her arm lay on the ground, severed still gripping air.
The battlefield was pierced by a loud scream of pain—Vera's scream. Her allies began to retreat, fear gripping their hearts. Lucia showed no mercy, continuing her dance of death, cutting down those who dared to run. Blood sprayed across the ground, staining the earth, but the bodies that fell were not left untouched.
As soon as they hit the ground, they erupted in blue flames, as if Lucia herself was setting them alight. But it wasn't her doings, it was...the sword. The powerful heat of it ignited their corpses, turning them to ash in an instant.
Meanwhile, Athar rushed to Vera's side, using his skills to stop the bleeding from her severed arm. But it was too late. Vera could no longer resist. Her body finally gave in, and she collapsed, unconscious. But alive and that is what is important.
last of the enemies managed to escape, fleeing into the distance. Lucia turned and walked back toward Athar, her steps heavy with the weight of battle.
"I'll tell you everything later, okay?" she said, looking at Athar, who seemed as though he had a thousand questions on the tip of his tongue, but knew better to not ask them now.
Lucia knelt down next to Vera, preparing to help Athar stabilize her. The tension in the air was thick, but there was no time for explanations only an action.
they managed to stabilize Vera's wound and carefully carried her to a nearby tent. Inside, Athar and two other magicians quickly began to heal her.
Lucia held Vera's arm, watching as the healers worked. The magic flowed, and the wound slowly started to close. Vera's body became more stable, her breathing steady. But now, Athar started to do his job...
air was thick with tension as they all waited in silence, their eyes on Vera, hoping for her to wake.
Athar held his hand over Vera's wound, and his fingers glowed with soft purple and green light. The light pulsed steadily, like the heartbeat of the earth itself. As the energy flowed from his hand, it sank into Vera's wounded arm.
light surrounded her severed arm, wrapping around the torn muscles and broken bone. Slowly, the tissue began to heal, the jagged edges of the wound slowly coming together as if her body was being repaired by unseen hands...
The glow grew brighter for a moment, then disappeared again, matching the flow of Athar's magic. The process was slow, each movement careful. The muscles joined together, and the torn flesh softened, slowly returning to normal as if nothing happened.
Though the magic was strong, it drained Athar's mana. His hand shook slightly as the last of the healing magic settled into Vera's body. The wound was stable, the worst of the damage healed, but she still lay unconscious. There was nothing more they could do. Only time could heal her now....
Athar waited for a moment, his gaze flickering between Lucia and Vera. weight of the silence was heavy, like the air before a storm. There was something in his eyes uncertainty, perhaps, or maybe a need for understanding.
He took a breath, as if steeling himself for the words. "So, can I have a moment to talk with you?" he asked plainly, the tension in his voice betraying the calm exterior he tried to maintain.
Lucia met his gaze, her own emotions well hidden behind a mask of quiet strength. She had faced countless battles, yet this moment, this conversation, felt different. Her voice was steady, almost too calm. "Of course," she replied, her words simple but carrying a weight of their own...